With two outs in the 14th inning of Upper Iowa's tenth game in seven days, Jacob Stenberg doubled and advanced to third as Minnesota Crookston mishandled the cutoff. Freshman
Tyus Adkins, who had just 2 hits in his first 18 at bats this season, was sent to the plate to pinch hit for the Peacocks. The Iowa City product came through in a big way with a triple to centerfield plating Stenberg and putting Upper Iowa ahead 9-8. The Golden Eagles had a pair of singles in the bottom of the inning, but couldn't score as UIU claimed their fifth straight win and improved to 7-5 overall. UMC fell to 4-8 on the season. The Peacocks closed their time in Clearwater, Fla. with a 7-3 record.
Upper Iowa got on the board first in the third inning when
Mitch Moser hit his second double of the game to drive in
Adam Budron, who singled up the middle earlier in the inning. The Golden Eagles answered immediately with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead thanks to three hits and a Peacock error.
The Peacocks retook the lead, 3-2, in the fifth inning thanks to an error by the Golden Eagles that allowed
Luis Ravelo to score from third with two outs and kept the inning alive.
Eric Cottrell drove in the second run with a single through the left side that scored
Jacob Greco, who singled earlier in the inning.
Minnesota Crookston kept the pressure on with three runs in the sixth inning on three hits, another Peacock error and a wild pitch. The runs allowed the Golden Eagles to recapture the lead and take a 5-3 advantage into the seventh inning.
UIU sent eight men to the plate in the top of the seventh scoring four runs on five hits. Moser recorded his third hit to open the inning. Greco and George followed with singles to push Moser home and pull the Peacocks within one. Cottrell doubled to center and moved to third as both Greco and George came home. Stenberg came up with one out and singled through the left side to score Cottrell and put Upper Iowa ahead 7-5.
After the Golden Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Peacocks got their insurance run back with a run in the eighth when Moser picked up his fourth hit, stole second and came home when UMC made a throwing error on a grounder.
Minnesota Crookston scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game 8-8 thanks to a run-scoring single with one out and another rbi-single with two outs.
Both teams had a chance or two through the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th innings, but neither team could score the winning run setting up Stenberg's and Adkins' heroics in the 14th.
Charley Cunningham earned the win throwing the final three innings allowing just three hits and no runs. The senior right hander struck out two batters.
Garrison Becker started and went 5 innings allowing two unearned runs on five hits.
Dan Cwiertniak,
Matt Banks and
Matt Meulemans all worked less than an inning on the bump for UIU.
Anthony Ruden worked two innings allowing one run, while
Ross Kulick went 2.2 innings surrendering one run on three hits. Both Ruden and Kulick were on the hill in the ninth when UMC rallied to tie and send the game to extra innings.
Moser and Cottrell both tallied four hits apiece, while Cottrell drove in three runners. Greco, Stenberg and Budron all had two hits in the game.
The Peacocks are scheduled to open at home in Fayette this coming Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 21-22. Upper Iowa will welcome the Huskies of St. Cloud State University to Robertson Woods Field for the Northern Sun Conference openers.
